Beauty and the Beast: PGL Style
by SilyaBeeodess
Summary: This is the story of, well, you know *points to title*, but with characters from my fanfiction, "Pokémon: Guardians of Light" as the cast.
1. Chapter 1

_Long ago, magnificent creatures we call Pokemon came to this world. Generation after generation have shared the legends and adventures we humans share with our Pokemon companions, and to this day, trainers befriend and collect Pokemon to become masters of their field. _

_Some Pokemon, meanwhile, have carried out their own lives far from the reaches of our civilizations, training in the depths of the deepest seas to the highest of mountain peaks in order to hone their skills undisturbed. Others may gain prestige as explorers in famed Guilds. _

_In this world, we live in peace and harmony with Pokemon. _

_However, our story begins far into the past, in the darker days when trust amongst people and Pokemon was rare to say best. An understanding between our two fates had not yet occurred, and we were left to see each other as nothing more than monsters._

_But what becomes of someone who is actually a monster within…_

_Once upon a time, in a faraway land, the wind moaned and lightening streaked the air. Thunder roared with a power to make armies quake. Alone in its majesty, a shining, stone castle sat high upon the mountain tops, deep within the forbidden forest, where no human or Pokemon dared roam, for the spirits of the dead were told to roam about there. The castle had been a well fought for prize, struggled free from human hands and sparing the land of their tyranny. _

_But the victor of this prize, a mighty Lucario who had defeated the humans' forces with his own, had grown cold and arrogant in his power, proclaiming himself the ruler of the palace, its boundaries, and all who lived within. All were afraid of the Lucario, known throughout the regions for his skill in battle and undeniable strength. He had never once been bested in a fight._

_On that night, a poor, scarred Starly with a broken wing came to the palace, seeking shelter from the raging storm, and in return offered a single rose. Repulsed by her haggard appearance and weakness, the Lucario sneered at the gift and turned the flying-type away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for true beauty is found within._

_And when he refused her again, the Starly's ragged form melted away to reveal a lovely, legendary Mew._

_The Lucario tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she called upon Arceus and used his powers to transform the aura user into a hideous beast._

_The Lucario became something half-formed and far worse, known not to any creature on this world. For the most part, his form seemed human, but even those creatures would not dare look into his face. He towered over them and most Pokemon. Two rows of glittering fangs lined his pale mouth. A pair of crimson eyes- the only thing left from his old self- glared fiercely with hate and rage. His fingers were elongated with sharp claws that could tear through flesh in an instant. And his skin was sickly pale, as if he were nothing more than a walking corpse._

_The Mew then placed a powerful spell upon the castle and all who lived there, stripping Pokemon of their abilities and turning them as well into the beings they feared most._

_Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magical Luminous Orb as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom for many years. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time._

_As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast…_

…

"Wow, Lira! It's so pretty!" exclaimed little Azurill, watching the female Lucario launch an Aura Sphere up in the air to then jump in the air and strike it hard enough to explode in a glimmering burst like fireworks.

"Yeah," cheered on his older brother, Marill, "I wish I could use aura too."

"Me too!"

Lira chuckled and kneeled down to eye level with the pair, "Thanks, guys, but I've still got a long way to go before I can join a Guild. You know they'll only want the best." It had always been a dream of hers to get away from her home in Treasure Town and explore the vastness of the world. Her plan was to train until she was able to become a member of the famed Wigglytuff's Guild and explore on her own. She had no delusions of trying to form a team; most other Pokemon wouldn't even consider allowing a female to join them, user of aura or no. She was determined to prove her worth.

"Marill! Azurill! Time for lunch!" shouted their mother across the wide field, "Lira, would you like to join us?"

"No thank you ma'am," she hollered back, before looking to the two children, "You kids go on ahead. I still have my meditations to complete for the day." As they departed, she began to head across town to the beach.

"Hey, Lira!" greeted a particularly bubbly Roselia as she and her friends passed the Lucario, "Wanna come with? We're going over to _Spinda's Café_ to get some smoothies and chill."

The Glamoew and Mismagius she was with nodded in agreement, flashing obviously fake smiles, "Yeah! It'll be great!" Then they say in a sing-song voice, "We know a certain someone who's had his eye on you!"

"No thanks girls," she shook her head, resisting the effort to roll her eyes, "I'm busy. Maybe another time?"

"'K!" Once they thought she was out of earshot, they began to talk to each other in louder than should be whispers, "What were you thinking? Asking _her_ along?"

"She's so weird!"

"What a freak!"

"I don't even understand why he likes her! I mean, she's just a tomboy with her head in the clouds!"

Lira clenched and unclenched his fists, growling quietly to herself. _Those little preps! I'll show them all one day. I'll show everyone is this town what I can be! _Seeing her in her irritable mood, other began to steer clear out of her path. Even though she would never do anything to hurt them, an angry Lucario was something to avoid. _Can I help being different?_

Meanwhile, hidden behind a group of shrubs, three figures spied on the beautiful female. They followed her along her way and watched for the first twenty minutes as she sat by the shore in meditation, just in front of the lapping waves that flowed calmly in front of her.

"Boss… we've been here a while now. Aren't you going to talk to her?" whispered one voice.

"Yeah, I'm starting to cramp here," complained another.

"Well your foot's in my face!"

"You mean, _your_ face is in _my_ foot!"

"Shut up, you idiots!" commanded their leader, "… I'm just choosing the prime moment is all."

"Yeah, right-!" the second voice's sarcastic comment was cut off by the first chomping down on his foot in order to get him to keep quiet. The last thing the pair wanted was to infuriate their leader.

"I can sense you three, you know," called out Lira, keeping her voice level and not moving a muscle, "And even if I couldn't I'd recognize your foul stench anywhere, Skuntank."

Skuntank frown and stepped out of the bushes, followed by his lackeys, Koffing and Zubat. The three made up an exploration team at Wigglytuff's Guild, and were famed in Treasure Town for their exploits. However, they were horrible and had crude methods of getting their tasks done. Not only that, but they were rumored to have gone up in ranks by simply downgrading the other guild members. Yet this didn't stop the fanfare they received.

Had this meeting been many years ago, he and Lira would've gone into a fight to near death upon the moment they laid eyes on each other. _She was such a pest back then, as a Riolu_, he thought, remembering back to their days in childhood. Now the circumstance had changed. Lira had evolved, maturing in the loveliest of ways, and he found himself quite attracted to her as well as a number of other Pokemon. Skuntank had- literally- stomped the competition to leave Lira with no other suitors to court her besides himself.

However, she had plans of her own.

"I find it flattering that you know I'm near that easily," he replied, ignoring her insult.

"Leave me alone you three," she didn't look at them when she spoke, "I'm busy."

"You're just sitting there…" Koffing stated.

"I'm training; meditating."

"_Training?_ Chaw-haw-haw!" barked Skuntank in laughter, "You're still clinging on to that pointless dream of becoming an explorer? Lira, wake up and smell the poffins. It's not right for a woman like you to fight. Think of how easily you could get hurt! A beautiful woman like you should be thinking of more important things."

"Like what?" she asked, annoyed.

"Like settling down, getting married, raising a family," he placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to glance his way, "me."

When Lira frowned at him, her eyes glowing with blue light, Skuntank turned pale. The smoke of the blast of the Aura Sphere she shot in his face could be seen all the way across the other side of town. With a swift turn, her hair billowing behind her in the wind, she left Koffing and Zubat to pick up their boss.

"Since I've obviously got no chance of concentrating here I'm heading home," she told them, "Ba-bye boys. Try not to get yourselves killed or lost the next time you enter a mystery dungeon."

"Ask your old man, Grovyle, if he's seen any Time Gears," sneered Zubat, before barely dodging the next Aura Sphere, which was launched his way.

Grovyle wasn't actually Lira's father, but he was all she had. He was the one who found her as an egg, abandoned, raised her, and believed in her. Long ago, when he was still a young Treecko, he had been an explorer. And as he grew older he became fascinated by these mythical objects called Time Gears, researching all he could about them. No one else believed they existed. He had even been kicked out of the Guild because of his set mind to discover them. But Lira had faith in him.

They had each other, and that was all they needed.

"Grovyle! I'm home!" she cried out as she stepped into their cottage.

"Lira," he addressed, poking his head out from behind a large stack of books and maps, "how was training today?"

"Not very productive," she admitted as she took an apple from a wooden bowl and bit into it, "I ran into Skuntank and his goons and had to quit early."

"To enjoy his company?" he teased.

"Hmm, let me think about tha- no!" she nibbled some more on the fruit, leaning against the wall, "I'd sooner jump off Sharpedo Bluff then waste even an hour of my life with him!"

"Don't be so harsh on him. He may seem like a buffoon, but most boys are at your age," he smirked, "Even I was. If you took the time to get to know him, I'm sure you could work things out. After all, you have such similar interests, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you get into the Guild."

She had nearly forgotten again how out of the loop he was about the people in town. Did Grovyle even have a clue about what they said not just about her, but him as well? "He's rude, annoying, full of himself, cocky…" she sighed, "I can't even begin to tell you how much I _hate _him."

Finishing her snack, she stared down sadly at the core, "Grovyle… do you think I'm odd?"

He looked up from his studies at her, his eyes searching through to her soul, "What would make you say that?"

Lira simply shrugged, not wanting to tell him everything, "I just get the feeling I don't fit in around here…"

He stood and cupped one of her cheeks in his hands, smiling warmly at her, "Lira, listen to me; you are absolutely perfect just the way you are, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise or try to change that. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Grovyle… thank you."

"Good… Now come over here and look at this. I feel as if I've almost figured it out, but I can't get the coordinates right on the map." The Tree Gecko had been trying for almost a year now to find the exact location of one of the Time Gears, scrounging through every ancient text and updated map he could find. "It's just that, well, this doesn't add up. By the way it looks, it appears that the Time Gear is located at a volcano, but everything I've read suggests that it's in a forested area."

Lira took one, long look at the map and raised a brow, tilting her head to one side, "Umm… Grovyle?"

"Yes?"

"You've got the map upside down."

He stared down at it, turned red, then flipped the map other. With some adjustments, he managed to relocate the path he had written down before. This time, it led to Treeshroud Forest. He grinned, his eyes twinkling, "Lira, you're a genius!"

"So, are you heading off then?" she said, smirking as she placed one hand on her hip, watching as he began stuffing books into a satchel.

"Yes. I'll head out tomorrow morning. I trust that you'll keep things running until I get back; just remember, no-"

"Boys; I know. Don't worry about a thing. You just be safe out there, alright?"

"I'll be back home before you know it, only this time with prove."


	2. Chapter 2

Ignoring the searing pain of the deep burns on his body, Grovyle practically flew through the trees in retreat. While searching for the Time Gear, he had gotten himself lost and crossed paths with a pack of Houndoom. He must've been in their territory, for they were none too pleased with the Tree Gecko's presence in the forest. Grovyle felt that he could've taken maybe one or two of them on his own, given how much training and experience he had, but an entire pack of fire-types? It was for the best that he escaped while he could.

He was much faster, especially in a forest, but he could still hear them chasing after him, howling to alert their companions up ahead. The trees slowly began to give way to rock and dust and he knew he wouldn't have long before they were upon him. _There!_ His eyes went wide with hope as he spotted a building of some sorts ahead, on the mountain range, _if I can just make it…_

He froze in shock upon seeing the building full scale; an enormous castle of obviously human construction. This rattled even his nerves, for the few times he had met humans, they had not been pleasant experiences. An angry growl sounded from behind him. _Better to risk another encounter with these creatures than with the Houndoom,_ he thought, leaping over the gate to late on his feet on the other side. Some of the raging Houndoom slammed into the gate, still attempting to get to him. Grovyle smirked and gave them a mocking salute before turning to face the castle, which towered above him.

"Hello?" he called out, opening the creaky door when knocking didn't work. He knew the humans wouldn't be able to understand him- if any were here, but it was only polite to alert them of his presence and let them know he wasn't a threat. He only hoped that they wouldn't be a threat to him. "Is anyone there? Please, I've only come seeking shelter for a little while, an hour or two, and then I'll be on my way." No one answered.

"Ooh, look!" whispered a very feminine voice as two people watched Grovyle enter the castle, hiding in the shadows, "We have a visitor! And he's so handsome, ooh, la, la!"

"Keep your voice down!" the other person whispered harshly, "If we're quiet, maybe he'll go away."

"Can't I just say hi?"

"No!"

Grovyle could hear them, but only faintly, and began to wonder if it was just his imagination at play, "I must be hearing things… Is someone there?"

Before the latter could stop her, a woman with light pink hair, green eyes, and a hot pink maid's outfit stepped into the light, "Over here, dearie! Welcome!"

"Celebi, you foolish girl!" said her compatriot, revealing himself as well in order to chide her. This human had dark hair and a very formal, although extremely vibrant with color, suit on, "Now look what you've done!"

"Oh, don't be such a fuddy duddy, Chatot," she retorted, sticking her nose up at him, "We have a guest. It's only right that we make him feel welcome here." Blushing, she looked back at Grovyle and gave him a once over, "Oh, you're hurt! Come on into the parlor so you can rest while you wait."

Grovyle blinked at the odd pair before speaking, "You… you can understand me?"

"Why yes, we can!"

"But… how?!"

"It's a long story, dearie. Now go on," then she cried out at the top of her lungs, "Sunflora! We have a guest!"

"A guest?" question a voice up above. Looking up, the trio saw a human female with golden hair and a spring green maid's dress similar to Celebi's standing on the second floor, watching them from over the railing. She was obviously younger than Celebi- still in her early teens, but shared her bubbly personality and looked to Grovyle with warm regard, "This is wonderful! I'll go get some tea on!" The girl rushed off without another word toward the kitchens.

"Get a few Rawst Berries while you're at it please!"

Grovyle was speechless to say the least. Not only were these humans friendly, but they understood Pokemon. He had to admit through, there was something very peculiar about them and it nagged on his nerves. The one called Chatot continued to grumble the entire time as he was led away by Celebi to the parlor to sit on a plush chair in front of an already blooming fireplace.

"This isn't happening… this can't be happening… No, not in the master's chair," Chatot muttered to himself in fear and panic, "Celebi! If the master finds out-!"

"Well, we don't have to tell him, now do we?" she smirked, "If you're so worried, then keep watch."

Sunflora returned, carrying a tray of tea as well as bringing a friend with her. Her friend was a boy about her age, with brown hair, hazel eyes, freckles, and buck teeth. He was dressed in a dirt brown shirt and a pair of overalls, and seemed to spend most of his hours working outside, probably as a gardener or landscaper. Holding a basket of Rawst berries in one hand, he picked one up and held it out to Grovyle, "For your burns."

"Thank you…"

"Bidoof!" he replied, grinning and holding out a hand for him to shake, "Golly, it's nice to meet you sir!"

Grovyle smiled, the boy's cheerfulness becoming contagious. He was so full of life, reminding him of himself when he was a young Treecko. "Well, it's nice to meet you too."

The tea was delicious and he accepted a cup gratefully. Seeing him grin in content, Celebi leaned over one arm of the chair and beamed at him, "Do you like it, dearie? We grow only the freshest ingredients here, just outside!"

"Well, yes," he tried to hide his discomfort with this human being so close to him, "It's very good, thank you." He busied himself with eating the berry.

"So, tell me," she batted her eyes at him, "What's a Pokemon like you doing all the way out here?"

Wait… was this human actually _flirting _with him. Grovyle balked at the idea before quickly shoving it out of his mind, a blush managing to creep upon his cheeks. Catching this, Celebi giggled. "Exploring," he choked out, "I just lost my way for a moment and had to make a stop, but now I'm sure I can find my way back."

Bidoof and Sunflora hid their grins and stifled back their laughter behind their hands as Celebi went on, "We've got plenty of maps in the library if you need to look at them. I could show you!"

"Celebi…" Chatot addressed in a hushed voice. She ignored him.

"No thank you, really, I'm fine!"

"Are you sure, dearie? Oh, well. Just tell me if you change your mind… But it must get lonely for you out there on your own, doesn't it?" She leaned in closer.

"_C-Celebi…_"

"N-not really… You could say that I enjoy the peace and quiet; to get away from city life…"

"You must be really brave to go off in the forest no your own like that, what with so many dangers out there. It's so scary!" she traced a finger along one of his wounds.

"… We're dead…"

Suddenly, a brilliant blue ball of light illuminated the room before crashing into the fireplace and putting it out. A growl of rage filled the air. All five of them screamed in fright and Chatot dove to the floor, covering his head. All Grovyle could see in the darkness was two red eyes staring hatefully at him from across the room. He didn't even have time to use Energy Ball before the creature swooped down upon him and gripped him by his neck, slamming him into the nearby wall.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Celebi pleaded.

"M-master!" stammered Chatot, "I just want to let you know… that this was all Celebi's fault! I tried to stop her! I had nothing to do with this. It was all their-!" Another growl cut him off and he backed away.

"What are you doing here?!" demanded the creature. It was like no human Grovyle had ever seen- completely monstrous. His fangs glittered in his maw as he snarled at the Grass-type.

"I was only… searching for help. Got attacked… Houndoom…" he managed to get out as the hold around his neck got tighter.

The being's growl went up in tempo, "You shouldn't have come here! Now you have more to worry about than a pack of those mutts. You have no idea what I think of _trespassers_!"

…

Lira screamed and sat straight up in her bed of hay. Grovyle was in trouble; she could sense it! His cries of pain and terror echoed in her skull! All she knew was that she had to reach him fast. Grabbing a small pouch of Oran Berries, she slung it across her shoulder and raced outside in the dark of night.

Team Skull stopped her before she was even halfway across the field from her home.

"Be mine, Lira," Skuntank said, wearing a bowtie, "and this will be the day all of your dreams come true!"

_Ugh! I don't have time for this!_ In response, she scowled, used Vacuum Wave, and then left them in the dust.

Letting the aura guide her, she was able to follow Grovyle's trail with ease and avoid further conflict with other Pokemon that lurked within the forest. Her heart stopped when she caught sight of the castle, having never seen a human-made building in her life and only having heard of them through books. It was more terrifying, being here, than reading about them in stories. She swallowed, but leaped over the gate. Grovyle was here, she could feel it. And if it meant fighting through humans to reach him, then she would.

She entered through the still slightly cracked open door and gently closed it shut behind her. Seeing that no one was around, she took a tentative step deeper inside, then another. So far so good, but it was too quiet.

"Hello?" she asked to the wind, more for her own sake than anything else, "Grovyle, are you here?"

…

"Sunflora! I saw a Lucario in the castle!" exclaimed Bidoof as he rushed into the kitchen.

"Don't lie, Bidoof. It was strange enough for any Pokemon at all to come here, but now _two_, and a _Lucario_?" she sighed, "Just come over here and help me with the dishes."

"I'm not lying!"

"Sunflora!" the human form of Chimecho squealed, red, curly locks bouncing around, "I saw a Lucario in the castle! A girl Lucario!"

Bidoof looked at Sunflora smugly, "Told you so!"

…

"This is all your fault!" Chatot nagged, "If you hadn't been flirting-!"

"I was trying to be _hospitable!_" Celebi interrupted.

"You should've tried keeping quiet! I swear, I-!"

"Grovyle?" A new voice interrupted them. Peering out into the hall, the pair saw Lira pass by and gaped.

"… It's a girl!" Celebi shrieked happily, about to follow her.

Chatot jerked her back by one arm, "I _know _it's a girl, but what's _she _doing here!"

"Let's go find out!" Celebi tugged him along, despite his protests.

…

Lira reached out yet again with aura, searching for Grovyle's individual signature. The appendages alongside her head lifted and quivered as she did so and she closed her eyes shut. Swiftly, the aura led her through the intricate, maze-like halls and up toward the tower where the dungeons were. His pain became her pain as the feeling grew stronger. She started running, "Grovyle!"

"Lira!" Grovyle shouted after hearing her, pushing himself up from the floor of his cell and looking through the thick, metal bars. He watched in horror as he saw her race up the steps, "No! You have to get out of here! _Now!_"

"I'm not going to leave you!" she stated, reopening her eyes once she found them. Looking around, she searched for a key, but finding none, she said, "Stay back! I'm going to try to blast the bars off."

Grovyle shook his head. If the creature he had met earlier heard the sound, he would catch her for certain. "Just go, Lira! There's no time to explain! Leave this place!"

"Not without you!" No matter the dangers that were here, she couldn't leave her father figure to suffer in this awful place. She lifted her hands out and sparks started to appear as an Aura Sphere began to form.

A large hand wrapped around her shoulder and shoved her to the ground before she got the chance to launch it. Grovyle shouted for her to run as a voice yelled, "What are you doing here?!"

She could sense the darkness within this being, even though she couldn't see him, and bravely inquired, "Who are you?"

"The master of this castle," the voice replied gruffly.

Lira got back up, pushing herself off the ground and clenching her fists at her sides, glaring into the eyes of the creature, since that was all she could see of him, "I've come for Grovyle! Let him out, he's hurt; he could die if I don't see to him!"

"Then he shouldn't have trespassed here!" he growled.

She let out a growl of her own and got into a fighting stance, "I'm not going to let you keep him here!" With that, she shot a powerful Aura Sphere at him.

The beast knocked it away like it was nothing. No one had blocked one of her Aura Spheres before! Before Lira could even begin to convey her shock, a bone staff made of aura appeared in his grip and she was struck by a hail of rapid, swift blows, particularly to the head, gut, and spine. The onslaught continued, leaving her with no opening; he was much faster than she had anticipated. Collapsing on the ground, her body aching, she rolled onto her side and gritted her teeth.

"You're pathetic," he spat down at her.

This only fueled her fire within. Screaming in anger, she launched another pair of Aura Spheres and used Vacuum Wave before swinging a leg at his feet. The results were the same as before, except she was left feeling like she couldn't move at all.

Taking advantage of her immobility, the beast yanked her up by her throat and pinned her against a pillar, "_That _was unwise."

She tried to struggle out of his grasp, but it was no use; he was much stronger than she. With tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she fell to her last resort and started begging in a sibilant whisper, "Please… Just let him go… I'll do anything…"

"There's _nothing_ you can do," but seeing her like that, his grip slacked a little. Not enough for her to get free, but enough to ease some of the pain.

"What if…" Lira thought hard, but came up with no other choice. Her head sagged in defeat, "What if you took me instead?"

"_You?!_" he said harshly before his voice lowered to a whisper itself, "… You would take his place?"

She ignored Grovyle's protests and demanded, "If I did, would you let him go?"

"Yes," he replied instantly, "But you must promise to stay here forever."

Lira clenched her fists until they turned pale. A single tear that she couldn't stop dripped down her cheek, rolled across the beast's hand, and fell onto the stone floor. "You have my word…"

She fell on her hands and knees as she was released. Grovyle was dragged away from her by the human-like creature before they could even say their last farewells. She was left alone in the freezing dungeon for the longest while, but remained strong, trembling all over from her efforts to keep it together. When he returned, he had to drag her away by one arm, for she was still too weakened from their fight.

She was confused when the next thing she knew, she found herself in a bedroom. It was clear that it had been left abandoned for who knew how long, but was otherwise in great condition; why, this room alone was lovelier than the cottage she lived in with Grovyle back in Treasure Town. The bed inside it had a plush mattress and warm blankets, with many pillows. So this was what a human bed looked like, but why was she here and not let to rot away in a cell like Grovyle had been?

_What does it matter,_ she thought gloomily, _It's a prison nonetheless._

The beast, still standing there, watching her stare at the floor, her face turned away from him, eventually said in a much gentler tone than what he had used before, "From now on, this castle is your home. You're free to go wherever you like as long as you stay within the grounds… but you are forbidden to go to the West Wing. My servants will attend to you if you need anything."

Lira didn't answer him. Sitting up, she rubbed her arms for warmth, continuing to keep her head down.

He growled at her yet again, before spinning around on one heel, "You _will_ join me for dinner this evening." It was an order, not a request. He slammed the door behind him and left her in her solitude.

Lira didn't bother to light a candle and she was too weak to use her aura to create a source of light. So she stayed balled up on the floor, her legs pulled to her chest, with only the moon shining through the large window to brighten the chamber.

She wasn't going to dinner; of that she was determined. She might be a prisoner here, but she would remain as defiant as she could be.

Plus, a sickening fear gripped at her. _Oh, Arceus, _she thought worriedly, _Do humans eat Pokemon?! _She cursed her lack of knowledge on the species. The only thing that soothed that fear was that fact that he had not only given her a place to sleep, but told her where she could and couldn't go, meaning she would be here a while, as he had promised.

It was then that Lira strengthened her resolve enough to stand. "Monster!" she screamed at the door before she became racked with sobs. He froze as her shrill cry reached his ears and bared his fangs in anger, but controlled himself enough not to storm back into the room to teach her a lesson.

Besides, she was very much right.


	3. Chapter 3

Lira, her share of tears already shed, sat on the floor and nibbled away at one of the Oran Berries she had brought along with her. It wasn't much food, but it was something of sustenance at least, and it also helped heal her injuries from the fight. Her achiness had worn away, but she still felt drained both physically and emotionally.

It had been her choice to take Grovyle's place, but it was a sacrifice that came with so much pain and heartbreak. She wondered about him now. Was he back home, safe and sound, or did her newly made capture break his word and just get rid of him? She didn't think he did, because she felt she would've sensed her friend's death, but her use of aura was still very limited at best compared to the more experienced and better trained Lucario.

Closing her eyes, she thought of home. Right now, if she were back in Treasure Town and this had never happened, she would be helping wash and put away the dishes from their supper, maybe humming some old folk song as she daydreamed about her future adventures in the Guild. But now she had no future and those dreams were gone. All she would ever know now would be these stone walls, so cold and bare.

As a knock sounded on the door, Lira flinched, hoping that… that _thing_ wasn't back for her. She considered ignoring it; however, a sweet voice spoke through the wood, "Hello? Miss?"

"Who is it?" she asked cautionately, standing and placing a hand on the doorknob. She kicked her tiny bag of Oran Berries under the bed to hide them quickly from view.

"Just housekeeping," Lira unlocked the door and opened it a crack to peer through, seeing a blonde human female with a bright smile standing there with two other humans behind her; a curly, red-haired human with a simplistic, plain white dress and apron and a boy with overalls and mudish hair. Each carried something with them in their arms. It startled her to see the contrasts between these humans and the creature that she had met moments earlier, but then again he had been the first human she had ever seen. "I brought you some extra blankets. It can get pretty cold at night and winter's just around the corner."

Frankly, with the ton of pillows and covers that already decorated the bed, she didn't see herself freezing during the night at all. Still, she stepped aside and held the door open for the trio to walk in.

"We all just wanted to say welcome," continued the girl as she placed the stack of blankets on the bed, "I'm Sunflora, that's Chimecho, and this booger here is Bidoof."

"Hey!" he yelled in annoyance, setting aside a tray of tea on the nightstand.

"Sorry, Bidoof! I just can't help but pick at you!"

"You sound like Celebi…"

Chimecho suddenly was right next to her, lifting up strands of Lira's hair, inspecting her paws, and occasionally tssking in dismay when something displeased her. "This may take a while... How am I supposed to get you cleaned and looking decent before dinner? You look like you've been rolling around in the dirt your whole life! Sunflora," she snapped her fingers and pointed over to mirror and dresser, "pass me the paint and glue; there's major work to be done here."

Bidoof, barely understanding what any of the three girls were talking about, just stepped aside to make his way slowly out of the room before any of them could decide if he needed a makeover as well.

As Lira was gruffly forced into a chair and scooted over to the dresser, her complaints and pleas were ignored, falling on the deaf ears of the two giggling human girls. A brush was removed from one of the drawers and she hid a yelp of pain as her hair was yanked back. "Don't worry, after we're done with you, you're going to look gorgeous!"

"But-!" she began coughing, choking on dust as Sunflora began to apply blush on her face.

"Sunflora, are you crazy? Blush on fur, and not even the right shade no less," Chimecho nagged, "I think all of this is starting to get to you. Now we've just got one more thing to wash off."

"Oops, sorry…" she replied bashfully, "I'll get the mascara instead."

"Stop!" Lira cried out, finally getting the other girls to listen to her, "Just. Stop." While trying to wipe her face, she stood up and moved away from the pair, holding her hands out at them as if warding off a rabid dog, "Thank you, really, but I don't plan on going to dinner."

Chimecho and Sunflora looked at each other before the blonde sighed and said, "I'll leave you to talk to her. I've got to finish getting the table set." With that, she stepped out, leaving Chimecho to glare at her backside and being left behind.

She took a breath and folded her hands together before speaking, "Listen…"

"Lira."

"Lira, I know that the master can seem a little," she paused, searching for the right word, "extreme, and rude, at times, but he's not always like that. He's just hit a few bad times here and there in his life and doesn't really know how to take other people."

"That's easy for you to say," she humphed in reply, plopping down on the bed, "You weren't the one who got strangled and beaten the tar out of."

"Well," Chimecho scratched the back of her head, visibly flinching as Lira glared at her and letting out a nervous laugh, "in his defense, technically, you started it."

"What was I_ supposed_ to do?" she exclaimed, "Let him keep Grovyle locked away here forever?!"

"Well…" before the red head could come up with an answer, another person knocked on the door and stepped in without being welcomed.

Chatot clears his throat and bowed dramatically, "Dinner is served."

…

"What's taking so long?" grumbled the beast as he paced back and forth in front of the fireplace in the dining hall, "I told her to come down." His head jerked over to Celebi and Sunflora, who waited attentively for him to give them their orders. "Why isn't she here yet?"

"Try to be patient, sir," said Sunflora, "She just lost her freedom, her home… everything, all so suddenly. Besides, Chimecho is helping her get ready."

"Girls…" he mumbled softly, rubbing his temple. Ever since all of them had turned human, most of the female Pokemon in the castle had been enthralled by the discovery of new clothes and makeup. Chimecho, somehow possessing a natural talent for design, now doubled as a tailor and beautician. She could spend all day on a person's hair and still not find it to her vision of perfection. But he didn't have all day.

"Master," inquired Celebi, "Do you think, perhaps, that this girl could be the one to break the spell?"

"Of course I have!" he states, a fire sparking in his eyes, "I'm no fool."

"Good!" she cheers as if the outburst hadn't happened, "so, you fall in love with her, she falls in love with you, and _poof!_ The spell is broken!"

"It's not the easy," Sunflora says, "These things take time."

"But the rose has already started to wilt! We don't have time!"

"As if it will matter," the beast grumbles, "Do you know what she said to me earlier today? She called me a monster, and that's all she'll ever see me as." He sank deeper into his own thoughts, "She's so beautiful and I'm… I'm…" he then yelled back to the two, "Well, look at me!"

"You just have to help her see past all that," comforts Sunflora.

"I don't know how…"

Sunflora frowns, his foul mood starting to get to her usually upbeat personality, "Well, you can start by making yourself more presentable. Straighten up and try to act like a gentlemen!"

Unused to the change of authority, all he could do was do as she said, arching his shoulders back and standing straighter. Celebi grinned and tried to help as well, "Yeah! Now, when she comes in, give her a dashing, lovely smile! Show me the smile!" When he did, all fangs flashing, she grinned back at him- praying it wasn't too fake- and gave him a thumbs up and nod of her head. "Very nice…"

"Just don't frighten her…" Sunflora added.

"Impress her with your wit!" Celebi continued as the pair began to go back and forth with ideas, only confusing him with the constant stream of chatter.

"But act gentle."

"Shower her with compliments."

"But be sincere."

"And above all," the two said as one, "you must control your temper!"

The door to the dining room began to creak open and all three of them turned around to look, expecting Lira to step into the room. However, it was only Chatot, "Um… Good evening."

"Well," he gestured, growing more and more annoyed by the second, "Where is she?"

"Who? Oh, the girl! Well, yes, you see, you and I both know how long it takes girls to get ready, especially when they feel the need to impress… Yes, she's in the process of… and in some circumstances like these…" quickly running out of excuses, he just decided to get it over with and spat out the truth, "She's not coming…"

"_What?!_" The beast stormed out of the dining hall, seething with anger at being rejected like this, and charged up the stairs to Lira's room. The trio of servants followed after him, yelling for him to calm down, but couldn't match his speed.

"It's time like these when I really miss having wings," Celebi exclaimed sadly.

Upon reaching the door to her room, he pounded on it with one fist, "I thought I told you to come down to dinner!"

"I'm not hungry!" Lira snapped back. Inside, she kept her back to the door and stared out of the window, ignoring Chimecho as she pleaded and begged for her to listen to him.

"You come out right now or I'll break down the door!" he already began to form an Aura Sphere in the palm of one hand.

"Master…" Celebi said nervously, "Now, I could be wrong about this, but that might not be the best way to earn her affections…"

"Please," begged Chatot, "_attempt_ to be a gentleman."

"But she is being so difficult!" he replied through clenched teeth, glaring at the door. Still the three, continued to try to get him to speak with less force. Sighing, he finally gave in. "Will you come down to dinner?" he muttered.

Lira, determined not to give an inch, replied, "No!"

He pointed at the door as if saying, _see_? The trio still wouldn't let him do things his way, so he mumbled, "Please?"

"No thank you!"

Losing what little calm he had, he shouted, "You can't stay in there forever!"

"Just watch me!"

"Fine! Then go ahead and starve!" he spun around and ordered the others, "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all." He left right after that, heading to his own chambers in the West Wing.

"Well," Sunflora sighed, "That didn't go over very well…"

Always quick to follow the master's order, Chatot turned to the pink-haired woman, "Celebi, stand watch at the door and inform me at once if there is even the slightest change."

She gave him a salute like a soldier would a captain, but only as pretend, and said, "Sir, yes sir! You can count on me!"

Meanwhile, the beast reached his room and burst through the doors, muttered on to himself as he tore his way through the mess of broken furniture, "I ask nicely, but she refuses. What does she want me to do? _Beg_?" Curious and well as angered, he picked up the Luminous Orb on the table next to the encased rose and ordered, "Show me the girl."

It showed him a girl alright, but instead it was Celebi marching in front of Lira's bedroom door like an idiot. "Hup, two, three, four! Hup, two three, four!"

_Right… _he thought, not in the least bit amused, _you have to be specific with this stupid thing._ "Show me the girl _Lucario_."

This time, it worked. Lira had her arms folded across her chest and her face turned away from a saddened Chimecho, "But the master's not so bad once you get to know him. Why don't you give him a chance?"

"I don't _want_ to get to know him. I don't want to have anything to do with him!"

Growling, he set the Luminous Orb aside once more. He didn't even understand why he even took her up on her offer to take the Tree Gecko's place, or even more so, why he hadn't just thrown _both_ of them in the dungeons. "I'm just fooling myself… It's hopeless."

…

Back in Treasure Town, Skuntank, and many of his admirers sat in _Spinda's Café_. The Skunk Pokemon downed another drink, mad at the world and taking it out on anyone who came near him. "Who does she think she is?" he spat, talking about Lira. He had had a wedding planned and everything. "That Lucario has tangled with the wrong Dark-type. No one refuses me!"

"She's nothing, chief!" says Zubat, trying to cheer up their leader.

"She's publicly humiliated me more times than I can count!"

"Want a refill?" offers Koffing.

"What for? Nothing helps."

"Chief," Zubat flew over and grabbed him by the cheeks, "You've got to pull yourself _together_!" Even as Skuntank punched him back, he continued, "What's she really worth anyway? _This_? Sulking in a café all day? Meanwhile, every guy here would kill to be you and all of the other girls fawn over you!"

As if on cue, a Lopunny and the Mismagius from the trio step over, placing their hands flirtatiously on him. "Lira doesn't know what she's got," they tease, "to have a brave, tough guy like you courting her."

"And what makes her so special anyway? She's just a tomboy! But _we_ love you, Skuntank."

He enjoyed their flattery for a long while until someone rushed into the café; slamming open the door and racing down the steps, shouting, "Help! Someone, help!"

"Grovyle?!" Spinda exclaimed, watching him storm down with worry and pain written on his face.

He continued to go on, "He's got her! He's got her locked in the dungeon!"

"Who?"

"Lira! We must go! There's not a moment to lose!"

"Slow down, Grovyle," Skuntank said, not taking the other seriously, "Who has Lira locked away in a dungeon?"

"A human," he said, silencing the entire café… that is, before he added, "Not like any human I've ever seen before; more like a monster!"

And then the place roared with laughter. A human was one thing; they were rare to see around here, but very much real. But a monster… it was impossible. People began asking him questions of what it was like just to poke fun at him some more. Finally, Skuntank, putting it all to an end while keeping a sly grin on his face, said, "Alright, calm down. We'll help you out."

Four pairs of arms wrapped around Grovyle and he was thrown back outside in the snow.

"Crazy, Grovyle!" someone jeered, "He's always good for a laugh!"

"Crazy Grovyle…" mused Skuntank as an idea popped into his head. Grinning he motioned for Koffing and Zubat to come over to him so he could whisper his plan without being overheard. "Listen, Grovyle is a loon, but he's also practically Lira's father. Here's what we'll do…" 


	4. Chapter 4

Lira was beginning to regret skipping out on lunch that day to train a little longer before doing her chores. Now her hunger was starting to get to her and even if she ate all of her Oran Berries- which she wouldn't do, because who knew when she would need them- it still wouldn't be enough.

Chimecho had already gone off, leaving her by her lonesome after chiding Lira for her stubbornness. Lira had not moved from her position by the window, staring out into the distance until night had completely fallen, ignoring the grumbles of her stomach. She wasn't certain of how keen the beast was on keeping her alive, but she knew she wouldn't last too long if she kept refusing to step out of her room. It would only be a few weeks tops, before she fell weak from hunger, and only a matter of days from dehydration. But looking down at the earth below, she smiled.

She had an idea.

Within moments, she had taken the spare blankets and some old, human garments she had found, tied them to each other and also to one of the bed posts, and scooted the bed close to the window. If she was careful, she could sneak around for something to eat outside, maybe some Sorrel or Agoseris. And _technically_, she wasn't breaking her word and would be staying within the grounds. She wouldn't cross the gates.

Tearing open the shutters and tossing the newly made rope out, Lira watched as it dangled not even halfway down the tower. She frowned and searched for another way. Down below, there was a ledge decorated with statues of Pokemon she had never seen before. If she could climb down and swing over, she could just hop along the ledges until she reached the bottom safely. Climbing back up would prove a little challenging, but her legs were built for high jumps over rough terrain.

She leaned over the edge when another thought struck her. The door. If someone came in while she was gone, they would know instantly that she had snuck out. It was then that she took all of the other furniture and pushed it against the door. _There_, she thought with a satisfied smirk,_ that should stop anyone from coming in_. Besides, her current attitude towards most of the humans here would only make the silence and shut door seem natural.

Congratulating herself on her clever- albeit quickly thought out and risky- plan, the female Lucario took a breath, gripped onto the cloth rope, and hopped down. The stone ledges were slick and slippery from ice and the cold nipped at her, but she landed otherwise ok. The snow was a few inches thick and she had to do her best to erase her tracks with a stick as she walked.

Eventually, she found a barn and ran into it gratefully for its warmth. A greenhouse wasn't far from here- she had spotted it as she shut the door behind her- but a quick look around, she thought wouldn't hurt. Letting her nose guild her, Lira was led to a collection of barrels, crates, and other containers set along the back wall.

She opened one up and grinned at the contents; food, mainly preserved goods. In one, hard tack, in another pickles, and in yet another, dried herbs. It wasn't the most ideal meal, but it was something. Best of all, these were likely mainly used as emergency supplies in the highly unlikely event food from the greenhouse ran out, meaning she could sneak into them to her heart's content as long as she was careful with how much she took.

Lira plucked one of the pickles from a barrel and began to nibble on it, making a happy sound at the prospect of filling her stomach.

…

Bidoof lay on a stack of hay, curled up sleepily. It had been a long day for everyone after meeting two Pokemon in forever. He found himself a little jealous of them, his want to be a Pokemon again renewing, but as Sunflora had said, her would have to be patient to find out whether or not that day would ever come.

He enjoyed sleeping in the barn rather than in the castle like everyone else. It was just too big and confusing, with its many halls and rooms, and it felt too cold and empty for his tastes. Meanwhile, the barn was small and cozy, the hay inside keeping it insulated and giving him a familiar comfort.

He was just about to drift off when a cold breeze hit him so suddenly before cutting off as if it had never existed in the first place, leaving him chilled. The sound of creaking wood was followed by the padding of soft steps. Naturally assuming it was one of his friends, he dismissed the noise at first. However, when an unfamiliar voice reached his ears, his eyes flew open and he gazed down from the loft above to the ground. He was surprised to see that she was out of her room, especially at the late hour.

_Should I say something to her? _he wondered, but then threw away that thought. He had heard the master and her shouting at each other through her bedroom door, having spied on the ruckus. She was out, but she more than likely didn't want to get caught. To reveal himself to her would either mean scaring her off or worse, getting an Aura Sphere shoved down his throat. The best thing to do, he figured, was to let someone else know she was walking around the grounds, but who?

_Chatot!_ the answer came to him quickly, _He's smart; he'll know what to do! _ Pleased with his own insight, Bidoof quietly climbed out from the nearest window, across the roof, and then to the ground below to race off back to the palace.

…

"Well, if you ask me, she was just being stubborn. After all, he did say please."

"But if the master doesn't control that temper, he'll never-"

"Guys!" Bidoof hollered a little out of breath as he raced into the kitchen where Chatot, Sunflora, and a few others were cleaning up, "I saw the girl Lucario out in the barn!"

"What?!" Chatot exclaimed, "But… but how did she get out there?!" The thought came to him instantly. "… _Celebi_… Bidoof, are you sure you saw her?" Receiving the answer, he then ordered, "Go back and try to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't try to leave. I need to have a chat with a certain pink-haired, hyperactive, loon."

Chatot was a little surprised and confused to see that Celebi had indeed _not_ left her position by the door and was still marching, humming army hymns just to give herself something to do. Still, he steeled himself and approached her, folding his arms over his chest, "I thought I told you to tell me if there was any change! Why is that girl walking freely about the grounds?"

"What are you talking about?" Celebi asked, "I've been watching the door the entire time!"

"Then how do you suppose she got out if you didn't let her out?"

"How would I know that?! Look, if we open the door so I can prove to you she's still in there, will you get off my back?"

"Oh, I'd love to see this."

With a humph, Celebi twisted the nob and gave the door a push, but nothing happened. She tried again, but it still wouldn't budge, so she tried knocking, "Lira! It's just Celebi! You can open up!" When there was no answer, Chatot gave her a stern look. Telling him with her eyes to shut up, she continued to pound on the door, managing to crack it open just a fraction. It was obvious that something blocked the way. "This isn't funny!"

With Sunflora and Chimecho coming over to help, the three girls managed to gather enough force to shove the door open, toppling over sets of furniture as they did so. Stepping inside, they gasped to see the open window with the hastily made rope hanging from it. "Oh, no…." Chatot squawked, "We have to find her!" He sped out of the room, followed by the others, "We have to find her before the master finds out!"

…

After a while, Lira had decided she might as well use her time out of the room to go explore. Who knew what she might discover in places to hide as a means of escape of sorts. Someplace that was entirely her own to hide away in where no one would find her without her needing to break her word. After all, she couldn't spend all her life in either her room or the barn.

It was relatively simple to sneak about the castle without being spotted. After walking for some time, she spotted a large stairwell leading up and splitting off in two different directions to different areas of the palace. _The East and West Wings_, she determined. The latter she was warned never to go to, but a mischievous grin crept on her face.

No one ever said she was very good at listening or taking orders.

She opened the door just a tad in order to peer in, but seeing no one she quietly stepped inside and sealed the door shut behind her. It was extremely dark, lit only by the stars and some other unknown source. Lira took in the details of the wrecked chamber and smashed apart furniture. _It looks like a herd of Stantler trampled through here. _

She soon found the second source of light and her jaw dropped slightly. Radiating from within a glass case, levitating in the air, was a lovely reddish-pink rose- full in bloom with only a few petals having fallen from it. It seemed to sparkle and it glowed with a power beyond her basic understanding of aura. Curious as well as awed, she carefully removed the glass casing and set it aside, reaching out a hand to touch it.

An Aura Sphere lit up her field of vision, blinding her as it narrowly missed her head to crash into the wall. Looking back, she gulped when she spotted the massive dent it created. If it had been just a few inches closer, she might not have even _had_ a head on her shoulders right then.

A low growl of outrage alerted her that she was not alone. Spinning around, she came face to face with the beast as he exited the balcony to enter the chamber. He snarled down at her and quickly put the case back where it belonged, protecting the rose. "I thought I told you never to come here!"

With bravado she didn't feel, she retorted, "I wasn't going to hurt anything-"

"Do you realize what you could've done?!" he screamed at her, cutting her off. With one swipe of his hand, he sent her tripping over a piece of a table and gashed her shoulder. She cried out and covered her hand over the wound, only to stare at it wide-eyed when it came away bloody. His anger directed toward her came from him like a furnace and scared her._ Oh Arceus, he's going to kill me!_

She wasn't one to typically flee from a fight, but self-preservation outweighed her pride. She practically flew out the door and jumped down to the second floor rather than take the stairs. She passed Celebi, Chatot, and the others as she ran. "There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you and- Hey wait! Where are you going?"

They watched her flee from the West Wing before turning to see their master bounding down the stairwell. He was furious; angry with her for having disobeyed a direct order and angry at himself for having both scared her off and hurt her.

Lira ran like her life depended on it, well past the gates and deep into the woods, because it very well probably did. Promise or no promise, she had to get out before he wound up killing her. Although as a Lucario, her speed was matched by few, this human was different. And he was also a user of aura; he could probably track her down without a problem. She couldn't go home, or else she would bring havoc to everyone back in Treasure Town. No, she would need to stay on her own, on the move, at all times.

A single howl arose from the stillness and silence of the night. Lira's heart hammered in her chest as the call was joined by a chorus of others. She picked up her already quick speed only for a trio of Mightyena to step in front of her and block her path. When she tried to back track three more appeared, and then another four stepped from the shadows to surround her, making a complete pack of ten. As they growled at her, she growled back, until the largest of the pack stepped forward with a hearty bark of laughter, "Well, well, well. What have we here? A lady like you shouldn't be out in these forests alone, should she?"

Ignoring the chuckles of those surrounding her, she commanded, "I don't want any trouble, just let me pass."

The leader tssked and shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't allow that, you poor Lucario." Lira's heart skipped a beat as she spotted some of the Mightyena lick their fangs hungrily. "You see, there just hasn't been quite enough food this winter. Your blood is fresh and drew us to you, and who am I to deny my men an easy meal?" He gnashed his teeth together and gave her a savage grin. "Tell you what? Give up now and I'll make this quick and painless for you."

Her wounded shoulder ached, but she refused to let it show as she launched an Aura Sphere at him. Through gritted teeth, Lira replied, "No chance!"

The pack leader got up with a growl, narrowing his eyes, "Get her boys!"

Lira leapt into the air and somersaulted away as the other nine Mightyena charged at her. She had a slight advantage as a Fighting-type, but injured and battling against so many meant that it would be wiser to try and retreat when she had the chance.

The first two Mightyena to get to their senses rushed straight for her once more. Lira swiftly used Close Combat to bat them away, but this also left her open to other attacks. A third came over and bit into her wounded shoulder, making her cry out. The taste of blood and the scream signaling success awakened an untapped source of primal energy within the Mightyena and her raked his claws at her back and tore at her further.

Lira slammed her back into a tree a few times in order to knock him off and continued to fight with the hounds. They began to dog-pile on top of her, using her fatigue as an advantage. They were a mess of thrashing limbs and snapping jaws. Lira held back her cries as they used Bite repeatedly. It was as if each time she threw one off of her, two more would tackle and fill in the empty space.

Reaching into her aura, Lira put all of her energy into one finale move that should've given her an open avenue to flee, or at least give her time to scale the nearest tree to wait the creatures out. Putting all she had into it, she made her aura explode around her so to fling all of the Mightyena off at once. They went soaring into the air and came crashing back to the earth in scattered heaps.

Before Lira could take off, however, the pack leader leapt onto her and pinned her to the ground. He had been waiting on the sidelines in case she managed to beat his lackeys and make a break for it. He smirked down at her, watching her pointless struggles. "Sorry lady, you know how it is; just the circle of life." He made a go to use Crunch down on her throat.

An Aura Sphere off from the side sent him flying off of her. "Back off of her!" somebody shouted hatefully.

Suddenly, the beast revealed himself as he raced for the pack leader, beating him with feverish vigor. At least now he had somebody else to vent out all his pent up rage on. Lira watched in both amazement and horror as he held his own against him, as well as the other nine Mightyena when they rejoined the fight.

It was over before it had even begun, with the beast as the supreme victor. As with most pack creatures, once they leader was downed, the rest took off. Yet still, he has sustained heavy damage. Not a minute after they were gone he stood there, tense, and gave her a look of fury and cockiness before collapsing in an unconscious heap on the earth.

Lira stared at him, her mouth agape. Both of her told her to keep running while she had the chance, but her other half wanted to help. Despite everything, he had come to her rescue, and if those thugs came back they would likely make a meal of him like they had tried to make of her. She would never forgive herself if she left him to die; not now.

Her mind made up, she crawled over to where he lay and managed to revive and coax him enough to stand. Allowing him to lean on her for support, she wrapped one arm around him and together they made their way back to the castle in silence.

…

Soon enough, they were in the parlor together along with a worried Chatot, Sunflora, and Celebi. Both had their deepest wounds wrapped in bandages. Chimecho had brought them some Lava Cookies to make them feel better, along with a broth made from Oran Berries. Still, the two argued. Lira was doing all she could to try to convince the beast to let her wipe clean one of his cuts so it wouldn't get infected since he refused to do it.

"Just. Hold. _Still!_" she yelled, wrestling with him for a while before finally placing the warm wash cloth onto the cut.

The beast cried out in pain and Lira rolled her eyes, finding him acting severely overdramatic after the hits he had taken without so much as a soft whimper from the battle. "That hurts!"

"If you would stop moving it wouldn't hurt so much!"

"If you hadn't had ran away in the first place, _this_," he gestured to the wound, "never would've happened!"

"If you hadn't been acting like you were gonna bite my head off and rip me to shreds, I wouldn't have ran away!"

She had him there, but he wasn't one to give up on even this, "Well, you shouldn't have been in the West Wing!"

Lira pouted before snapping at him, "Well you should learn to control your temper!"

This left everyone startled that she was one to say that so boldly. Sure, some of the others had, but they always did so with care in order not to trigger that temper, and they were close to him as both friends and servants.

Everything fell quiet again for a long while before Lira spoke again as she gently dabbed the cut with the wash cloth, "By the way, what's your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes. Humans have them, don't they? At least, that's what Grovyle told me. Or would you rather I just called you human or monster for the rest of my life?"

He scowled at her, but eventually muttered, "Ri," in answer.

"Well, Ri… thank you," she looked into his eyes, but for the first time without hate or malice, "for saving my life…"

He blinked down at her and only let the faintest of grins show once she had looked away, "… You're welcome…"

The trio of servants smiled at each other. It was a start, and that's all that they could hope for that night.


	5. Chapter 5

"If no one will help me find her," Grovyle grumbled to himself, packing up a bag of survival gear, "Than I'll rescue her myself. Lira, please be alright; I'm coming." With that, he stepped out the door and headed down the winding path to the deep woods.

Meanwhile, in a nearly empty and soon closing Spinda's Café, Skuntank, Zubat, and Koffing sat in a table in the far corner of the spacious restaurant… along with one other patron.

"Typically I wouldn't be about at this late hour, but my associates said that you would make it worth my while," said the dark figure sitting across from them. With a nod from Skuntank, Zubat tossed a sack filled with gold coins over to the other side of the table. After a brief inspection of them, the figure continued, "It would appear that my associates are correct. What would you want?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" Skuntank replied, "I've got a thing for Lira-"

He cut him off, "I don't intervene in lovers' quarrels."

"As I was saying," Skuntank went on, his voice gaining volume, "I have a thing for Lira, but she keeps refusing me. She needs a bit of… persuasion, and I know she would do _anything_ if it meant keeping her dear, Grovyle safe."

"Grovyle?" the voice questioned unbelievably, its owner's interest growing. "I don't believe I completely understand. If you wish for Grovyle to be taken hostage, than I doubt you need me and that you could very well accomplish that on your own. However, Lira would then simply knock all three of you out, even if it meant the end of her."

"You run the asylum, the prison, and the stockade."

"Grovyle is harmless, and he's earned the respect of veteran explorers. Taking him without reason would only turn the entire town and perhaps even the nearby regions against not just me, but you three as well."

"Can he really be in his right mind though? All he's talked about for _years_ now is finding these so called 'Time Gears', and now- just today in fact- he's raving about a _human_, of all things, taking Lira and locking her in a dungeon!"

"Hmmm…" the figure rolled a gold coin between two of his fingers, "So you want me to take Grovyle away and lock him in the asylum unless Lira agrees to marry you..." He shook his head, "That is the most deceptive, wicked, and twisted scheme I've ever heard."

Dusknoir let out a booming laugh, "I love it!"

…

Ri watched Lira and the human forms of Bidoof and Loudred play in the freshly fallen snow. They were tossing snowballs at each other across the currently frozen fields just outside of the castle. Despite Sunflora's and Chimecho's protests that she needed rest in order for her wounds to heal, Lira refused to- as she put it- spend a split second wasting away in bed.

His eyes drifted down to the carefully placed bandages wrapped around one of his arms, and he did something he hadn't done in a very long time. He smiled. "I've never felt this way about anyone before…" he muttered to himself. In a louder voice he added, "I want to do something for her."

Chatot, who was dutifully standing by along with Celebi, replied, "Well there's the usual; flowers, gummies, promises you don't intend to keep…"

Celebi wacked him in the back of the head, "No, you moron! It has to be something special; something that really sparks her interest and lets her know he cares…" After a moment of thought, she exclaimed, "I've got it!" She leaned over and whispered something in Ri's ear, who soon found himself beaming, fond of the idea.

"Hey, Ri!" Lira called out. The moment he glanced over to the side, he was greeted to a snowball to the face, followed by the Lucario's fit of laughter. The four servants cringed, worried of what their master's reaction might be to this.

Ri, scowling, wiped the snow from his face. _So that's how she wants to play,_ he thought. Then an idea occurred to him. Using the power of aura, he lifted up a large amount of snow, shaping it into a giant ball…

…and floated it over Lira's head.

When Lira was done laughing, she looked over to Bidoof and Loudred who were looking up above her. Her eyes following the direction they gazed into, she went a bit pale. At the moment she tried to run, the snow all came crashing down on her as if from an avalanche. This time, it was Ri who was laughing.

At first she sputtered and shivered, popping out of the pile of snow like the first flower in the spring that sought the sun's warmth. Creating a few more snowballs, she smirked, "Of course, you realize this means war!"

"Bring it on!" he goaded, charging out into the fray.

As Ri and Lira continued to pelt each other with snowballs, Celebi called Bidoof and Loudred to the side, where they backed away to sneakily in order to go unnoticed by the pair of aura users. With that, the Pokemon turned humans huddled together to discuss a plan of action. Things were off to a good start, but if the two were meant to be together, than they needed to do something big to aid them along.

"We need to make the most magical, wonderful, loveable, adorable, spectacular, romantic evening ever!" Celebi said dreamily.

"All that and more," replied Chatot, agreeing with her on this, "Everything needs to be perfect. I want the main ballroom cleaned up within a few days. Every nook and cranny of the castle must be spotless! Bidoof, head to the attic, gather the old velvet curtains, and bring them back downstairs. Celebi, have the rest of the staff meet me in the main hall in fifteen minutes. Loudred, search through every music book you can find until you can compose the most memorable piece possible." With that, the four headed off to their assigned duties.

…

"Where are you taking me?" Lira questioned curiously. She was no longer worried about him hurting her, but he was still very strange to her. Did all humans act this way or just him? And why was he nothing like the humans that Grovyle always told her about? Which, then again, the others weren't either. Could everyone back in Treasure Town have been wrong about the species?

"You'll see," was all he said in reply, "Just be patient." He had her blindfolded and, because she couldn't use aura anywhere near as well as she should've been able to, he had to lead her very carefully, watching out to make sure she didn't trip on a loose rock or slip on a sheet of ice. With her arm almost delicately wrapped around his, he continued, "It's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises," she said flatly, "The last time someone said they had a surprise they tried to use Attract on me."

He chuckled at that, "It's nothing like that, trust me."

Once they reached their destination, Lira tried to contain the chill down her spine from the cold weather. She didn't know where they were, but sitting by the fireplace in the castle seemed like a better idea than this.

Letting her go slowly and taking a few steps back, Ri, with a grin on his face, told her, "Ok… Now look." The female Lucario removed the blindfold and blinked her eyes open, ignoring the biting sting of the cold and blinking away the blur of snowflakes that first appeared before her eyes. She then looked up from the blindfold now in her hands to the scene surrounding her, which took her breath away.

The pair stood atop a wide mountain ledge overlooking the castle and the forest below. Farther out, she could see the sparse towns, the buildings seemingly smaller than grains of rice; farmland. To the North, past the denseness of wild territory, she could faintly see the outline of a shore letting out to an expanse of ocean. And to the West, rolling mountains all glistening in a blanket of snow appeared as far as the eye could see. The sun was beginning to set low on the horizon, dipping low behind them.

"It's so beautiful up here," she whispered softly, "I've always dreamed of something like this, but I've never actually _seen_ anything like this before in my life."

"Lira?"

"Yeah?" she turned to face him, only to spot a long, wooden pole soaring her way. Reacting quickly, she moved back a step and caught it with both hands. After understanding what was thrown at her, she looked back to him, confused.

Grinning, Ri made a bone staff of aura appear in his grasp. "It's come to my attention that, despite your potential, you know very little about controlling the power you possess. I think it's time you learned," he got into a fighting stance, waiting for her to make the first move, "Attack me. Once you have learned how to control a typical staff, than you will learn how to create your own with the power of aura."

She tilted her head at him, "Are you being serious?"

"Absolutely. Now, fight!" Without warning, he came straight for her, bringing his own staff in a downward swoop toward her head. With a surprised yelp, she lifted up hers horizontally to block the strike.

For hours they fought, going back and forth through the motions. Having had no real tutelage before, the intensity of the training came as a bit of a shock to Lira, and yet at the same time she loved every bit of it. She was finally being treated as a real fighter, not some silly girl with a ridiculous dream. Even the spars she lost- which were most of them and likely would've been all of them had Ri not being going easy on her- were both thrilling and fun.

Eventually, Ri gave up on trying to teach her by experience alone. "Here, let me help," making his staff disappear, he had her stand in place and adjusted her stance before coming up behind her. He placed his hands overtop hers and began to guide her through the motions of basic blocks and swings.

But it was difficult for either of them to concentrate. The scent of Lira's hair, the feeling of practically holding her was something very new and very intimate to Ri. As for Lira, she didn't know what to make of the feelings of his rhythmic heartbeat and of being enveloped in anyone's arms other than Grovyle's for a father-daughter hug. There was something there, but they didn't understand what.

Seeing her attention on the lesson fading as well as his own, Ri asked her, "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said after a moment's delay, shaking her head slowly, "I'm just thinking is all."

"About what?"

"Well… back home, people don't expect me to fight," she admitted without speaking of the other unknown feelings, "They want me to be a sweet little housewife, who sits back and raises a family. The thing is that's never been me. I've wanted to see the world, go on adventures, explore, but being a girl, people think that I can't handle what's out there. That I'm not thinking straight. Grovyle's actually been the only one to believe that I could make it, and now this… someone's trying to teach me." She gave him a sidelong glance, "Why are you teaching me?"

"Don't you even know about your own people?" he asked with a raised brow.

Lira shook her head, "Grovyle found me when I was still an egg. He's the only family I've ever had. I've never met another Lucario, or even a Riolu, before."

Ri frowned; so she had no idea about the life she was born for. She was never taught the ways of aura, only discovering what it was through feel. She didn't know about how Lucario and Riolu trained long and hard in the mountains to hone their skills in battle and as aura users. She didn't know how few female Lucario there were out there and why just that fact made her so special. Because of all these things, she was denied all of the pride and heart that came with being a member of the species. She didn't even understand how he had brought her up here to make it feel more meaningful, more traditional, like a taste of home. A home she never knew she had.

"Grovyle was a good judge of character then," was all he said. He would need to let the information settle on her a little bit at a time. "Anyone who said anything less about you was a fool. You're a _Fighting_-type; it is only natural that you fight, no matter what your gender or background. And you certainly have the spirit for it."

To his shock, she leaned back against him, smiling. "You're the first besides Grovyle to say something like that," she said in almost a whisper, "Thank you."

Day after day, they went up and trained in the mountain tops near the castle. It was their way to bond, to learn, to care. What began as master and student started to bloom into something more. And by the time everything the servants had prepared for the pair was ready, they had already grown very close.

There was just one more thing to take of before the big night.

"Sunflora! How are things going on your end?" shouted a distressed Chimecho from the stairs leading off to the East Wing.

"Not good! You?!" the other girl replied from the West Wing.

"It's the same! No matter what I do or say, she refuses to put on the dress I made!"

"Well you try getting a tux on a six foot two wall of muscle!"

From the bottom steps leading up to the two wings, Chatot sighed, "Celebi, you take care of the girl. I'll see if I can talk to the master."


End file.
